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Seamers restrict free-flowing India before top-order knock off target with 113 balls to spare

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay07-Jul-2025England U19s ended their Youth ODI series against India on a high with an impressive seven-wicket victory at Visit Worcestershire New Road.The tourists took the series by a 3-2 margin but England deservedly won the final game after an excellent bowling display restricted India’s power-packed batting line-up to 210 for nine. A strong collective effort saw all six bowlers take wickets with Ralphie Albert (two for 24) and Alex French (two for 37) most impressive. Only RS Ambrish (66 not out from 81 balls) passed 40.England then cruised to 211 for three with 113 balls to spare. Ben Mayes (82 not out ,76 balls) and Thomas Rew (49 not out, 37) saw their side home at a canter after Ben Dawkins (66, 53) laid the platform with his third successive score in the sixties.After India chose to bat, England’s rejigged seam attack began superbly with French and Matt Firbank each striking in their first over. Ayush Mhatre’s unproductive series concluded with a careless flick to mid-on off Firbank before French added the big wicket of Vihaan Malhotra. Scorer of a high-class century in the previous game, Malhotra edged a superb delivery to wicketkeeper Rew.Fourteen-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, 322 from 162 balls in the first four games in the series, this time lacked fluency. He hit Firbank for successive sixes but was well-contained apart from that before, on 33 from 42, slicing Sebastian Morgan to deep third.Leicestershire seamer Alex Green maintained the pressure and was rewarded with the wicket of Rahul Kumar, well caught on the long-leg rope by Dawkins. When England turned to spin, Albert soon ousted the dangerous Harvansh Pangalia (24, 37) lbw, sweeping,Albert added the wicket of Kanishk Chouhan, slickly stumped by Rew having been lured down the wicket, and it was left to Ambrish to ensure the innings filled its 50 overs. He did so with a skilful half-century, shepherding the tail.England’s reply took an early hit when Joe Moores bottom-edged a pull at Deepesh Davendra to wicketkeeper Pangalia, but Dawkins and Mayes broke the back of the chase with a stand of 107 in 13 overs. Dawkins batted with increasing authority until, in pursuit of his fourth six, he lifted Naman Pushpak to long-on where Chauhan took an excellent running catch.When Pushpak turned one through the gate of Rocky Flintoff, India had a glimmer of hope, but captain Rew reached the crease with the equation still very favourable to England – 90 needed from 31 overs. Mayes reached his half-century from 48 balls and stayed strong to unfurl an immaculately organised innings while Rew ended the match with a flurry of boundaries against a flagging attack in an unbroken stand of 90 from 73 balls.

Fast bowler admits age may be slowing his recovery after recurrence of knee issue

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Dec-2025Mark Wood has cast doubt on his availability for the third Ashes Test and admitted concerns that, at 35, his body is no longer coping with the rigours of bowling 90mph/145kph.Wood had surgery on his left knee after hobbling out of England’s Champions Trophy campaign in February, and the series opener in Perth was his first Test match in 15 months. He bowled 11 wicketless overs across the match but was sent to a specialist after reporting more pain and has been wearing a knee brace since arriving in Brisbane.Speaking to Channel 7 at the tea break during the second Test at the Gabba, Wood suggested he was unlikely to be in contention for the Adelaide Test, which starts on December 17: “I think there’s a chance there, but more realistically, it’s probably more Melbourne and then [Sydney] after that… I need to get out of this [brace] first to get moving around.”Related

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Wood said that he has had painkilling injections in his knee since the first Test, and suggested that age is catching up with him. “Throughout my career, I’ve tried to show resilience and keep coming back and keep trying to push it where I can bowl faster and faster, but I’m getting older now.”I don’t know if my body’s not coping with it as well [as it used to] but I’ll keep trying. That’s something I pride myself on, to keep running in for the team and be a good team man. I’m hoping I can get this right and can charge in again.”I’m trying to just get through day-to-day at the minute. Later in the series is what I’m aiming for, but I can’t do that much at the minute. I’ve had a couple of injections, resting up, and slowly but surely, running [will] start soon, then back into bowling.”It’s more mentally difficult than physically. You’ve got to try and build it back up and come back again, and that’s probably the more difficult thing.”Ben Stokes, England’s captain, said on the eve of the Brisbane Test that Wood would do “everything” possible to remain in contention for selection in this series: “We’ve got a lot more time to go on this tour, and we’ll just see how things play out with that.”

Barbados Royals stay rooted to the bottom of the table after their third loss in four games

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Aug-2025

Colin Munro and Nicholas Pooran put on a match-winning stand•CPL T20 via Getty Images

Colin Munro and Nicholas Pooran led a clinical chase as Trinbago Knight Riders brushed aside Barbados Royals by seven wickets in Tarouba to rise to the top of the CPL 2025 table. Chasing 179, Munro set the tone with a typically aggressive 67 while Pooran finished the job in style with an unbeaten 65, wrapping up the target with 13 balls to spare. With three losses and a no-result in four matches, Royals are bottom of the table.The foundation of the chase was laid early, as Munro and Alex Hales added 55 for the opening wicket inside the powerplay. Munro, who was the early aggressor, raced to his half-century off just 30 balls. Even after Hales fell for a 14-ball 19, off the final delivery of the sixth over, the momentum remained firmly with Knight Riders.Related

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Pooran started off in a brutal fashion, launching an attack against both pace and spin. His unbeaten 65 came at a brisk pace, studded with boundaries and calculated risks towards the end of the chase. The highlight was him hammering Rovman Powell for three consecutive sixes in the tenth over.Royals briefly kept Knight Riders quiet, conceding just 20 runs between overs 10 and 14, but it didn’t shift the momentum.Pooran and Munro added 93 for the second wicket, off just 54 balls, before the latter was run out in the 15th over. But by then, the equation was down to a run-a-ball 30 and Kieron Pollard ensured there were no hiccups, smashing two sixes and a four in his nine-ball stay. The winning runs came in the 18th over, sealing a dominant performance.Earlier, Royals posted 178 for 6, a total that looked competitive at the halfway mark but ultimately proved well below par. They began cautiously after losing Quinton de Kock early but were steadied by a 56-run stand between Brandon King and Kadeem Alleyne. King chipped in with a 23-ball 29 while Alleyne made 41 off 37.Sherfane Rutherford top-scored for Barbados Royals with 45 off 22 balls•CPL T20 via Getty Images

Once King fell, Sherfane Rutherford’s late surge – 45 off 22 – offered Royals some hope. He began with a four off his second ball against Andre Russell, and then took McKenny Clarke for a four and a six in the following over. He smashed two more sixes, off Mohammad Amir in the 16th over, before the fast bowler dismissed Alleyne.From 105 for 2 at the end of 14 overs, Royals accelerated with 73 runs in the final six overs. Captain Powell was particularly merciless against Ali Khan as he scored 23 runs off him in the 18th over, which included three sixes and a four.Russell and Amir were the standout bowlers for Knight Riders. Russell picked up 3 for 37 while Amir’s 2 for 35 ensured control through the middle and death overs.The win puts Knight Riders in a commanding position at the top of the table while Royals are left needing a spark to reignite their faltering campaign. St Lucia Kings are also on eight points alongside Knight Riders, but occupy the second spot owing to an inferior net run-rate.

The visitors sensed victory before rain wiped out 17 overs and they ran out of time

AAP26-Nov-2024Cameron Bancroft produced a breakthrough Sheffield Shield century but rain and a stubborn knock from Liam Scott ended Western Australia’s bid to secure victory against South Australia.Bancroft struck an unbeaten 105 off 255 balls as WA set South Australia a victory target of 364 off 90 overs. They were precariously placed at 170 for 5 after 60.1 overs – with debutant Keaton Critchell taking three wickets – when a rain break wiped out 17 overs.Related

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The loss of Harry Nielsen in the first over after the rain break meant WA needed just four more wickets with 12.2 overs remaining. But Scott (33 not out off 106 balls) and Ben Manenti survived before the game was deemed a draw with three balls remaining.There was unexpected drama late in the match when Hilton Cartwright was forced off the field after being accidentally struck in the head by the ball. Cartwright wasn’t looking when Bancroft tossed the ball to him from five metres away, but luckily the impact was only minor.Bancroft started the season as a genuine chance to win the vacant opener’s spot in the Test side following two mammoth years with the bat. But his form turned to mush so quickly over the past two months that critics even started questioning whether he deserved to keep his spot in the WA side.Bancroft opened the Shield campaign with scores of 0, 0, 8 and 2. In his two matches for Australia A, which effectively doubled as a bat-off for the vacant top-order spot in the Test team, Bancroft scored 0, 16, 3 and 0.Nathan McSweeney ended up winning the Test call-up, and Bancroft went on to make 12 and 11 in his next Shield match against Victoria, before opening the current Shield clash with a first-ball duck, despite not appearing to have edged the ball.It continued a rotten run of luck for Bancroft, with a number of his dismissals this season appearing to be umpiring errors. But his luck finally changed.Bancroft made it to stumps on Monday unbeaten on 71, and he had one edge fall short and another edge fly too high for the fielder on Tuesday on the way to reaching his 30th first-class century.The 32-year-old raised his bat and helmet to the sky upon reaching triple figures, with the knock an important step in his bid to get back in the conversation for a Test call-up.WA young gun Jayden Goodwin was named player of the match for his scores of 139 and 69.

He was taken to the hospital for treatment, with his scans being sent to London for analysis

Danyal Rasool03-Jan-2025Pakistan will have to complete the second Test against South Africa in Cape Town without the services of their opening batter Saim Ayub, who has been ruled out of the remainder of the match after suffering a right ankle injury.Ayub had to be stretchered off the pitch in just the seventh over of the match, when Ryan Rickelton edged a delivery through the slips, sending Ayub off on a chase to deep third alongside Aamer Jamal. Jamal pulled it back in as Ayub stood poised to be the relay fielder, but lost his balance and twisted his ankle. He went down immediately and appeared in anguish holding the lower part of his leg as the physio rushed on.Despite prolonged treatment outside the boundary line, Ayub was unable to put any weight on his right ankle, and appeared to be in tears as he was placed on to a stretcher and taken off, with the injury casting a pall over proceedings for Pakistan. Things only got worse a few overs later when his replacement, Abdullah Shafique, put down a simple chance Aiden Markram at cover. It would not cost Pakistan much, though, with Markram falling to Khurram Shahzad two overs later.Ayub was sent to hospital soon after the incident, and shortly after the close of play, the PCB confirmed he would play no further part in the contest. “Saim underwent X-rays and MRI tests this afternoon,” the statement read. “The reports have been sent to specialists in London for further advice on the treatment and time away from competitive cricket.”Ayub has been a breakout star across formats over the last few months, and was Player of the Series when Pakistan beat South Africa 3-0 in the ODI series last month, scoring two hundreds in three games.He is one of the few all-format regulars for Pakistan, and was expected to be a key figure for the side in the upcoming Champions Trophy that Pakistan will host, beginning in February. That participation may now be in serious doubt.”It’s a big blow, the kind of form he’s in,” Salman Agha, Ayub’s team-mate, said at the close of play. “He would have been a great asset on this wicket. I wish him well and hopefully he’ll be better soon.”

An ECB statement said that he is expected to bowl in the fourth innings, but it is unclear whether he will be fit to bat

Matt Roller13-Jul-2025England are sweating on the fitness of their offspinner Shoaib Bashir after he damaged the little finger on his left hand on the third day of the Lord’s Test against India.Bashir sustained the injury when bowling to Ravindra Jadeja, who hit a powerful low drive straight back at him. While technically a caught-and-bowled chance, Bashir was struck firmly on the hand and immediately signalled up to the home dressing room that he had been injured, sustaining what appeared to be a dislocation. Joe Root completed his over.The England camp were initially hopeful that Bashir would be available to bowl in the evening session, but he instead sat along with their substitute fielders and did not take the field. He bowled on a practice strip ahead of the fourth day’s play, with heavy strapping on his fourth and fifth fingers, but it is unclear whether he will be fit to bat.An England statement on the fourth morning said: “Following his left little finger injury, Shoaib Bashir continues to be monitored and is expected to bowl in the fourth innings of this Test. A decision on whether he will bat in the third innings will be made in due course. His involvement in the fourth Test at Emirates Old Trafford will be assessed at the end of the match.”Bashir has taken nine wickets at 59.44 in this series, including the wicket of KL Rahul on the third day at Lord’s. If he is not deemed fit to play in Manchester, England’s alternative spin options include Liam Dawson, Jack Leach and Rehan Ahmed; Brendon McCullum has confirmed that Jacob Bethell is seen as a spare batter rather than a potential No. 8.

Opener hits 158 off 167 balls as hosts edge closer to mathematical safety

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay25-Sep-2025Essex 295 for 2 (Walter 158, Elgar 111*) trail Somerset 433 (Goldsworthy 100, Overton 60, Porter 3-66, Bennett 3-73) by 138 runsPaul Walter exerted total mastery over Somerset’s flagging bowlers as his highest first-class score of 158 eased Essex closer to safety in Division One of the Rothesay County Championship.The left-hander was barely troubled as he combined perfect timing with seeing everything clearly and early while spraying the ball around Chelmsford with an air of supreme confidence. For much of his 167-ball innings he outscored his opening partner, the former South Africa captain Dean Elgar, two to one as the first-wicket pair compiled a stand of 277 in 61 overs. At the close Essex were 295 for 2.Elgar, too, reached a second century of the season but was content to play second fiddle while Walter pulled, drove and flicked with nonchalant ease 21 fours and three sixes. Elgar contributed 16 fours and a six in his unbeaten 212-ball 111.Somerset’s first-innings 433 had looked formidable until Essex made mincemeat of it in an emphatic response. That Somerset had achieved as many as they did was latterly down to Lewis Goldsworthy’s four-hour and 21-minute century that took 193 balls. He was last man out, a third wicket on debut for seamer Charlie Bennett, who finished with 3 for 73.When it was their turn, Somerset struggled to get any response out of a docile pitch and had tried seven bowlers to no avail by the 29th over. They spent two sessions literally chasing shadows on a sunny autumn day.Essex survived two overs before lunch and immediately afterwards Elgar punched back-to-back drives past mid-off for fours off Craig Overton. It set the tone for the rest of the day as they rattled along at above four-and-a-half runs an over.Walter was the most aggressive from the start, at one point lofting Archie Vaughan straight down the ground for four and cutting Lewis Gregory for another to reach a 54-ball fifty. An off-drive for his 13th boundary took Essex to three-figures in only 21 overs.Walter motored along at more than double the rate of his fellow left-hander. His dominance was summed up when he launched Jack Leach for six over long-off and next ball rocked on to his back foot to drive the spinner through the covers for four.When Walter reached his century from exactly 100 balls just before tea, having plundered 16 fours, Elgar was stuck on 49 from 10 balls more. It took Elgar a further dozen balls after tea to reach his fifty, courtesy of an angled shot backward of square off Kasey Aldridge and celebrated by lofting Vaughan straight back over the bowler’s head for six. Walter could not resist following suit and bounced down the wicket in the same over for another maximum.Walter’s third six, pulling Leach over square leg, took him past his previous highest score. His 150 took 154 balls, while Elgar’s 54th first-class century was reached in 184 balls.Walter eventually departed seven overs from stumps to a stupendous tumbling catch at midwicket by Goldsworthy off Overton, who also accounted for nightwatchman Simon Harmer before the close.To emphasis the unresponsiveness of the hybrid wicket, it took Essex an hour and three-quarters to winkle out the last four Somerset wickets while conceding a further 94 runs. Overton recorded a second successive fifty, and a third of the season, from the 54th ball he faced. But he fell to a ball in Harmer’s first over of the day that spun past his outstretched leg and bowled him between bat and pad after a partnership with Goldsworthy worth 98 in 20 overs.Another bowling change prefaced another wicket when Leach nibbled at one from Bennett to provide substitute wicketkeeper Simon Fernandes with a fourth catch. Gregory swept Harmer for six during a brief appearance but attempted a repeat next ball and top-edged to short fine leg.Goldsworthy made it to three-figures just in time, pushing a quick single off Harmer, but departed two balls later when he swung Bennett to deep square leg.

Kemar Roach is smaller than the great West Indian bowlers of the past but faster than he looks

Peter English19-Nov-2009Kemar Roach is smaller than the great West Indian bowlers of the past but faster than he looks. Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh and Corey Collymore were Roach’s childhood heroes and he would like to carry on the tradition by leading the side in the three-Test series against Australia starting next week.Standing at well under six feet, Roach is a 21-year-old with a reasonably gentle run-up before he explodes through the crease and his slippery deliveries surprised the local batsmen. He regularly hurried Nick Kruger, who carried a headache after being struck on the helmet during his 172, and collected Ryan Broad’s edge with a lifting delivery before lunch.While Roach’s 1 for 67 off 23 overs came in the Bulls’ hefty total of 4 for 384, he gained frequent plays and misses and was frustrated not to win a couple more calls from the umpires. “That’s what cricket is all about – hard days and long days,” he said. “I know to work hard to get wickets and I’ll bowl all day if I have to. It was tiring but I was accustomed to that, I’m accustomed to bowling a long time. It’s not a problem for me.”Roach, who was clocked at 94.5mph [152kph] during the Champions Trophy, was called up for the two Tests against Bangladesh during the players’ strike and was the leading bowler with 13 wickets in the lost series. “He just ambles in but then it is on you,” Kruger said. “He is quick and he got me with a good one – I have got a bit of a headache.”Kruger felt Roach was holding back too. “He was just ambling in there today,” he said. Both Kruger and Wade Townsend, who also scored a maiden century, had some tough moments in the early stages but recovered for a satisfying 243-run stand for the second wicket.”They came hard at us but we batted pretty well,” Kruger said. “It was my day, I had a couple of chances and they were probably recovering from a bit of jet-lag.”The West Indians were not helped by some dropped chances, but Roach expected the performances to improve for the first Test. “There’s more cricket to play and that was only one day,” he said. “I don’t think we will be that bad again.”

Smith’s 71 and Green’s 52 builds Australia’s lead to 254 with three wickets in hand on tricky batting surface

Andrew McGlashan05-Jul-2025A pristine innings from Steven Smith and Cameron Green’s first half-century at No. 3 put Australia in control of the second Test in Grenada on a day limited to 58.3 overs by three rain interruptions, a lethargic over rate and latterly bad light. However, regular breakthroughs after tea kept West Indies in touch although the surface remained a challenge for batters.Smith, playing with the lingering effects of the compound dislocation he suffered in the World Test Championship which requires him to wear a splint on his right little finger, barely put a foot wrong during an innings studded with classy drives. There was general shock, not least from Smith himself, when he fell lbw to Justin Greaves for 71 shortly after tea – the DRS confirming ball had struck pad first – leaving the series still waiting for its first century.Greaves became the somewhat unlikely figure to keep West Indies’ hopes alive when he then had Beau Webster edge to a lone slip. After a third shower briefly suspended play, Travis Head was cleaned up by Shamar Joseph, defeated by the angle from round the wicket, leaving Alex Carey the key figure in terms of how many more Australia could add. After the second day’s play, Roston Chase said West Indies would be confident chasing anything under 200 – they are now going to need considerably more than that.Related

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There remained regular signs of uneven bounce – Green received a delivery early on which scuttled for four byes – but the ones that shot low were either not straight or were able to be kept out. As had been evident on the first two days, batting became more manageable as the ball got softer which added to the importance of the 93-run stand between Green and Smith in taking the sting out of the attack.Green, who had done the hard work in the first innings but couldn’t take advantage of being given a life, brought up his first half-century as a Test No. 3 with a perfect straight drive. However, he was again left furious when he chopped on next ball, dropping his bat to the ground in anger before trudging off.Overall, though, it was a step in the right direction. He nearly fell for West Indies’ short ball plan when he top-edged short of deep square leg, but he defended solidly and waited for anything with a hint of width to put away through the off side.Cameron Green got to fifty the ball before he was dismissed•Associated Press

Australia had resumed on 12 for 2 after a difficult finish to the second day where Jayden Seales removed both openers. Progress from Green and nightwatcher Nathan Lyon was sedate before a 40-minute rain break. Shortly after the resumption Lyon edged to third slip where John Campbell, who has had an indifferent time in the field, clung on with a juggle.Lyon had joked in a pre-play interview that Smith thought he should retire to let him bat straightaway. Smith, whose preparation for returning to the side included a session a New York batting cage, received a brutal first ball from Alzarri Joseph which took the glove of his injured hand but he looked in the zone from the off.Smith did well to keep out a delivery from Anderson Phillip that kept low, from which point on he limited his trigger movements to remain stiller at the crease. He collected back-to-back boundaries off Shamar Joseph – a straight drive and one through the covers – as his game looked in top working order despite the recent lay-off.When the ball got soft, West Indies went for a bouncer strategy with, at times, three on the leg-side rope, a deep third and a short leg but Smith was rarely bothered by it. While variable in bounce, the pitch does not have great pace which made a bouncer-barrage hard work although it may have been in part to try and get the ball changed.Smith’s fifty came up from 79 balls with a leg glance and he greeted the introduction of Greaves by stepping out of the crease and clubbing him straight down the ground. Chase’s offspin was then sent straight for six as Australia sensed a chance to cash in on their hard work.After Green’s dismissal, Head came out and threaded his first delivery through the covers with a rasping drive. Another crisp drive, this time off Greaves, took him into the 20s at better than a run-a-ball. He went down a gear after tea amid the loss of Smith and Webster before falling late in the day. But Carey was swiftly into his work and Australia’s bowlers will hope he can given them a cushion of another 50 runs.

Spinner played key role in 2018 title but has been overlooked since 2021

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Nov-2024Offspinner Amar Virdi has been released by Surrey, having been overlooked throughout their run of three consecutive County Championship titles.Virdi, 26, claimed 39 wickets in Surrey’s Championship-winning season in 2018, and was at the time considered to be a future Test prospect, having featured for the England Under-19 side in 2016 and 2017. He was part of England’s training bubble during the 2020 Covid-19 season and toured the subcontinent at the start of 2021 as a reserve for series against Sri Lanka and India.On his first-class debut in May 2017, he made history by joining Sam Curran, Ryan Patel and Ollie Pope to form the first quartet of teenagers to play for a county since World War 2, and only the fifth in history.But unlike his contemporaries, all of whom have gone on to become fixtures in Surrey’s first XI, Virdi’s opportunities have waned in recent years, with Surrey tending to prefer a batting allrounder such as Will Jacks or Dan Lawrence to carry their spin burden.He spent the latter part of the 2024 county season on loan at Worcestershire, where he took 14 wickets in four matches, including a five-wicket haul against Hampshire in September, but a permanent move is understood to be unlikely. Previously he had been on loan at Somerset in 2022, with his most recent Championship outing for Surrey coming in September 2021.”Having been a part of the club since I was 11 years old, I will look back on my time at Surrey with great fondness and I have some incredible memories of playing for the club,” Virdi said.”Winning the 2018 County Championship was a personal highlight and it was incredible to be part of the team that brought success back to the club after many years.”Having had a tough couple of years at Surrey with selection and pitches, I still believe I have a huge amount to offer the game as shown in my recent loan stint at Worcestershire and I’m looking forward to whatever the next step is in my playing career.”Alec Stewart, Director of Cricket, added: “It’s always tough letting a player go from the club and especially when that player has been in our set up from a young age. With the balance of our bowling attack we’ve used in the Championship in recent years which has brought us great success, Virds hasn’t been able to find a way into the starting eleven.”I firmly believe his bowling has a lot to offer another county and hopefully he will find a new home where he can show case his talents and further his career. I will do everything possible to help him find a good solution.”In the meantime, on behalf of everyone at Surrey CCC, I would like to thank Virds for the service he has given and we should never forget the impact he had when winning the 2018 County Championship title.”